


Forever My Father

by BlackLotus2002



Series: A Family Matter [1]
Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But not physical, Family, Father Figures, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Juliet Higgins Whump, Pre-Juliet Higgins / Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV, Pre-Season/Series 03, Robin didn't saved the day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:53:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27831838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackLotus2002/pseuds/BlackLotus2002
Summary: A visit rattles Juliet to the bone. Her past comes back to hound her.
Relationships: Juliet Higgins & Original Character(s)
Series: A Family Matter [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2037034
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Forever My Father

As an MI6 high ranking operative, Juliet Higgins has faced the worst sides of humanity; trafficking rings in China, drug wars in Colombia, death squads in El Salvador, the terror war in the middle east and the revolutions in Africa. She’s been all over the world learning that humans can be as compassionate and good, as they can be evil and rotten; learned how to stomach it, digest it, but never assimilated. For quite a while, she counted herself as a part of that horror, with so much blood in her hands, how could she not? Life was life, whether it was the blood of a terrorist or a warlord, and she was trained and honed to learn how to take away a life; even if it was not her primary mission, Juliet Higgins was a killer. And for a long time, she thought that was all she ought to be, an agent under Her Majesty’s orders; until Richard, who showed her she could be so much more. Until he was taken away from her, she told Iain herself when she caught him; he took away her future, a life without bloodshed and lies. Juliet sank to the deepest of the bottoms, pushed down and locked away, the only one left was agent Higgins, until not even her was left. And Robin Masters happened, and she felt like Juliet Higgins again, not Jules, or Jay, or Julie; but Juliet was a start.

Until Magnum.

Thomas Magnum was the encyclopedic definition of a train wreck.

She was a mathematician, she loved her patterns, and was eager for the randomness, but Magnum? He gave her a headache; until he didn’t. He turned her into a new person. Not Jules, or Jay, or Julie; no, she was Higgy now. She liked Higgy, who was compassionate, dedicated, a friend, a _partner._ Higgy was great, because, allowed her to be Jules and agent Higgins and Juliet all at once. But like most good things in her life, they must come to a sudden and painful end. She was to leave Hawaii for London in five days. Unable to go through with the charade of wedding they were trying to pull. She already lived in lies; did it while in Russia, and Qatar, and countless times; and wasn’t willing, not again, _not anymore._

That brought her to an afternoon dedicated to a staring contest with her laptop’s screen; she was supposed to look for a flat, and later became a revision of the account states of the Nest, but neither Zillow nor Excel proved to be entertaining enough to drag her out of her sulking, ( _not that she would ever admit to sulking.)_ What did prove to be enough was two sets of steps; one was short, familiar, _Kumu;_ and the other, peculiar, almost rigid, and also, oddly familiar.

“Juliet?” Kumu’s voice trailed, bouncing on walls.

“In the studio!”

First on sight was Kumu with her flowery dress, but then, a hint of cayenne pepper and navy blue, and it was _him._ With his handkerchief folded in a neat triangle on the pocket of his blazer, the red tie and the perfectly put, brown and grey hair.

“But soft!” if she hadn’t been seated, her legs would have given on her, “What light through yonder window breaks?” _fresh grass, shy sun and pleasant cold;_ it was her mother’s cottage in Surrey’s countryside, and she was there because he was _here._ “It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.” 

And her eyes were on him, totally unaware of Kumu’s look, and her own expression. _— Like someone broke your heart and put it back together again, all in the same moment, —_ the curator told her later.

“Leo,” a murmur, barely there.

“My Sun.” 

Juliet stumbled out of her seat, lacking her usual grace; she was again clumsy and seven, and he was _there._ The only father figure she ever met. She was in his arms and a child. Wanted to cry, but reigned on herself.

“Missed you so much, my little dove.”

Buried in his chest, chuckled. “I’m little no more; you’re just insanely tall.”

His laugh reverberated in his chest, and she relished in him, his presence. 

“That must be my love, that must be.”

 _Ahem!_ She heard, « _Kumu! »,_ flinching and alarmed. The curator was standing a few steps away; a huge grin plastered in her face, her ocean eyes glinting with mirth. “I guess you _do_ know him.”

Trying to put herself together, to Kumu’s endless amusement, Juliet cleared her throat. “Indeed. Kumu, this is Leopold Musgrave, my godfather,” like the gentleman he’d always been, accepted Kumu’s hand to kiss it. “Leo, this is Teuila Tuileta, the Estate’s curator and a dear friend of mine.”

“Please, call me Kumu.” The older woman relished the attention of handsome Leo, who always has been a bit of a flirt.

“Well, Kumu, it is a delight to make you acquaintance. And please, call me Leo.” 

“Well, Leo,” the suggestive tone made Juliet snicker, that was one of the reasons she was so drawn to the woman, she was _so much like him._ “I trust I’m leaving you in a great company. If you excuse me, I have errands to run.”

Leo vowed back, and Kumu left. She turned to see him, to make sure he was really there. In her Leo induced haze, the image of her father’s shadow appeared; Leopold Musgrave was the Duke of Portland's head of security and right-hand man, Leo didn’t move if Albert Higgins didn’t order. _Albert._

“He sent you, didn’t he?” Finally asked, walking towards the sofa.

Her godfather followed, taking the seat across her. 

“He did.”

Dread formed in the pit of her stomach. “How did he find me?”

“Carlisle saw you, he was here on a business trip, closing a deal,” he let it hang. “He said you were in trouble with the local authorities. Something about the island’s special task force.”

“I was not in trouble.” Growled, “And that bloody wanker needs to learn to reign his yakking.” 

“That is not the point, Juliet;” « _of course it wasn’t. »_ “Your father sent me to make inquiries about your life, and, as you know, I would never break your trust in such ways.”

And she loved him for that; he understood, but Albert Jonathan Higgins? The man had no such respect for his children’s privacy.

“Let me guess,” Juliet’s discontent filtered in her words, “he found a way around this.”

Leo nodded, “he found about your immigration problems, and he sent me to extend an invitation, he wants to help.”

She arched her brow, “does he now?”

“He’s here and wants to meet with you.”

“Here in Hawaii? _Why?_ ” 

“I told you, he wants to talk to you and help, and you know he can.” His hand went to hold hers, but she closed in herself.

Albert wasn’t a pious man; the man did nothing out of the goodness of his heart, he was a businessman which meant that everything was a contract to him, it was quid pro quo; nobody knew better than she did, because, throughout her life, she had to negotiate her freedom since the moment he broke into her in her path, to the instant she finally walked out. Seven years, but she still was his daughter, much to her dismay. 

“I missed you.” Out of the blue, he stated. 

“I write to you every day.” Dutifully at the end of her day, she’ll write a lengthy E-mail about the news of her life.

“It’s not the same,” Leo shook his head, eyes on his hands. “I know you have a father but—”

“You are my father,” she cut him, “you raised me, you tucked me in and read me, took me skiing and to dance class, went to my piano recitals and soccer matches. Cheered on every single endeavour of mine.” Reaching for his hands this time, relishing in the warmth of a happy childhood and good memories. “You care when no one else did.”

“But now you have Thomas, and Rick, and T.C and Kumu. Your ohana.” 

Lately, Juliet has been a lot of lunging, to kick and to punch, but not to hug; she didn’t do hugs, but for him, she could, so she did. 

“I have them, and I hope to have you as well,” murmured with her head buried in his neck. “Because without you, I’m as good as gone.”

“You’ll always have me, my Sun, always.”

Letting go, she sat back on the sofa, trying to get a grip on her soaring heart. “So, what does he want to propose?”

“Well,” Leo exhaled, “you know him, he’ll reveal his intentions when he deems convenient.”

Juliet scoffed. “God forbid this man from ever speaking clearly.”

“Are you going?”

“Oh,” uttered with a tensed jaw, “do I have a choice?”

“Juliet,” he dragged, giving her a side look.

“Of course, I don’. He's a tyrant.”

“He’s your father.”

“Sperm donor.”

“Your mother wanted for you to have an, at least, cordial relationship with him.” He emphasizes. 

Juliet rolled her eyes, sinking back into the couch, arms folded over her chest. “And I wanted to be Wonder Woman, but we can have everything we want in life, can we?”

Leo snorted; his shoulders drooped. “You’re being childish.”

“Because he would know a lot ‘bout that, wouldn’t he?” Retorted, lips pursed.

“Please, at least tell me you’ll think about it.” His big eyes and soft tone made her almost cave to the request, the operative word being almost.

“I’ll consider it,” her shoulders were set, back straight. “But I can’t promise you anything.”

“Consideration, that’s all I ask.” 

“For him? I think that’s much more than he ever granted me.” 

The sighed that escaped him told her to stop. Albert always has been a sensitive subject between the two of them; the duke and Leo have been mates since they were eighteen; they went to Sandhurst together, went to the war together and came back together. They were pretty much like T.C, Rick, Nuzzo and Magnum; yet, the idea of comparing her father to the best men she ever had come across made her nauseous, it was ludicrous. Still, Albert was Leopold’s best friend, and to Juliet’s chagrin, something in him must make Leo so protective, so loyal; loyal enough to raise his love child and to refuse the woman he was in love with. He could have been her father, for real, instead, she got the self-centred, tyrannical, manipulative man. 

_Just her damn luck._

When Leo was long gone, off to chase her father’s most obscure affairs, Juliet was left behind with all sort of thoughts to consider; foremost, the idea of seeing him, talking to him, was physically painful; and to someone who had a personal relationship with pain, that particular brand of torture was the most harming. Second, the rationality of it; she was desperate, she _wanted to stay,_ and reflecting on the severity of the situation she was in, the offer was not short of a _miracle._ And last, but not least, her ohana, her chosen family; abandoning them? that kind of pain she wouldn’t survive.

He’ll probably humiliate her, remind her of her last words.

 _«I don’t need anything from you, I never have and never will; sod off and see you in hell»_ Or something along the lines. She was twenty-five, the best agent under director Alexander Malcolm Pierce, still, she left Barnard Hall, _(family’s ancestral seat),_ in tears like a child. But now, she’ll have to crawl back to him. After seven years of keeping her word, she needed him. And the fact that she was considering it a viable option, had her in frenzy; because if it was of a different matter, she would've told him off, but this was no longer a battle of wills or a stubborn child looking to piss her parent, this was _her happiness_ ; she wasn’t willing to jeopardize her happiness for something like pride.

Looking at the clock, it read 2:30; taking the keys and a healthy sip of scotch, she left the Nest.

She had a meeting with the devil.


End file.
